City Council Meeting: Planning, Infrastructure, and Community Priorities

Council considered a wide range of planning, infrastructure, and member motions, including Canada Post community mailbox installation, the future of the former Ontario Science Centre site, data centre regulation, ferry fee changes tied to Section 37 funding, and several property-specific planning and heritage matters. Members also dealt with referrals, supplementary reports, and amendments on items including ward-based maintenance teams, Old City Hall filming, and Ontario Line road closures.

Topics Discussed

1. CANADA POST COMMUNITY MAILBOXES

Council discussed Canada Post's shift from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes and the effect on residents, particularly seniors and people with disabilities. Councillor Jamaal Myers said Scarborough North includes the Albert Jackson processing facility, "one of the largest processing facilities for Canada Post in the GTA," and said "a lot of Canada Post employees who live in the riding … are obviously very worried about their jobs."

Councillors also raised concerns about litter and enforcement around mailbox sites. Councillor Vince Crisanti said that in communities with mailboxes, "these community mailbox locations are never ever really completely clean," and asked whether the city could issue orders to comply if Canada Post installs large numbers of boxes and fails to maintain them.

2. FUTURE OF 770 DON MILLS / FORMER ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE

Council debated motions about the future of the former Ontario Science Centre site at 770 Don Mills Road. Members discussed engaging the Province of Ontario, the federal government, and other stakeholders on future uses of the property. Councillor Jon Burnside said the motion "engages the province of Ontario, the government of Canada, all the stakeholders … in a meaningful conversation about how to bring the buildings that are now sitting effectively just empty and derelict back to life."

Councillor Shelley Carroll said members were "being very pragmatic" about the province's timeline for a future Ontario Science Centre at Ontario Place and that council was "talking about reimagining the site rather than trying to keep it exactly as it was."

3. DATA CENTRE OVERSIGHT

Council discussed a motion related to large-scale AI and digital infrastructure projects, including a proposed expansion at 3650 Danforth Avenue. Councillor Alejandra Bravo asked staff to summarize existing municipal powers and the impacts of data centres on "energy use and … power grid pressures," "water usage and cost," "natural water bodies and wastewater systems and watersheds," "noise impacts," "heat impacts," and other environmental and community health effects.

Councillor Josh Matlow said, "A proposal of this size raises serious questions," including electricity demand, cooling water needs, noise from equipment and backup generators, infrastructure costs, permanent jobs, and what protections are needed when critical computing infrastructure is controlled by a foreign-owned company. Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin added that she was "particularly worried" the provincial government "may not care about the environmental impacts of the datacenters" or "the noise in a city."

4. FERRY FEES AND SECTION 37 FUNDING

Council debated a motion to waive ferry fees in August and the use of Section 37 funds connected to the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal redevelopment. Councillor Stephen Holyday said he believed the proposal was "inconsistent with the requirements of section 37 money" and called it "a very important precedent." Councillor Michael Thompson questioned whether changing the use of the benefit would require going "back to the source to start a new negotiation or get their permission."

The item ultimately passed 15-5.

5. PLANNING, HERITAGE, AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Council dealt with several property-specific items, including 251 Marley Avenue, 3036 Hendon Avenue, 1410-1416 Eglinton Avenue West, 765 Steeles, and Two Whitney Avenue. Councillor Gord Perks said the issue raised "very important principles," asking whether a private individual should be able to build "without all the necessary permits," partly on public land, and then "put a chill on the counselor representing the area with a lawsuit." "My answer to that would be no," he said. Councillor Neethan Shan similarly said that using "legal tools and power, privilege, resources, money" should not "hyper entitle" someone before council and that the local councillor should not face "the chill of the use of a lawsuit."

Council also discussed the loss of daycare commitments in development approvals. Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin said "the deficit of daycare is there" and warned that changes in planning policy mean "all the section 37 negotiated daycares are at risk." She said there are "currently 19 daycares in the city of Toronto attached to section 37 agreements" and urged councillors to watch for similar issues in their wards.

On 1410-1416 Eglinton Avenue West, Councillor Mike Colle urged council to reject what he called "this preposterous development," saying he already had "20 towers going on a small street with daycares," but "no daycare space, no public housing, no affordable housing, no sewers, no hydro."

Motions

• CC 43.8 - Ward-Based Maintenance Team Pilot: Referred.
• EC 30.8 - Old City Hall Filming Location: Supplemental staff report moved; final disposition not clear from the notes.
• TE 34.106 - Metrolinx Ontario Line / long-term temporary road closures: Amended recommendation moved; final disposition not clear from the notes.
• MM 43.47 - Pollinator Garden Initiative: Held.
• CC 43.25 - 251 Marley Avenue: Carried on a recorded vote.
• CC 43.24 - 3036 Hendon Avenue: Amended and carried.
• CC 43.13 / 1410-1416 Eglinton Avenue West: Held for later consideration; separate motion to oppose the development adopted 23-3, according to the notes.
• MM 43.83: Reopened and amended.
• MM 43.74: Motions 1A and 1B carried; item amended.
• NY 34.16 - 765 Steeles: Amendment discussed; final disposition not clear from the notes.
• NY 34.27: Motions 1A and 1B carried.
• CC 43.5 - Indigenous Funeral and Burial Services: Motions authorizing funding delegation and clerk authority carried.
• Two Whitney Avenue heritage/encroachment matter: Motion carried 20-4; confidential attachment to remain confidential.
• MM 43.26 - Regent Park/Moss Park community centre funding: Motion discussed; final disposition not clear from the notes.
• MM 39.47 / data centre regulation motion: Advanced with amendment changing the provincial framework request timeline to the first quarter of 2027.
• MM 43.114 - Malvern Town Centre redevelopment: Adopted with amendments.
• MM 43.115 - Jay's Care Foundation / parks sponsorship policy: Carried.
• MM 43.128 - ferry dock / waterfront-related Section 37 reallocation: Passed 15-5.
• MM 43.132 - mural funding: Recipient identified as Mural Routes; carried.
• Motion passed 22-0 near meeting end: Subject not identified in the notes.
• Bills 980-1211 and 1214-1270: Introduced and passed.

Attendees

Councillors mentioned in the notes as present or participating:

• Mayor Olivia Chow
• Councillor Alejandra Bravo
• Councillor Brad Bradford
• Councillor Chris Moise
• Councillor Dianne Saxe
• Councillor Gord Perks
• Councillor James Pasternak
• Councillor Jamaal Myers
• Councillor Jon Burnside
• Councillor Josh Matlow
• Councillor Mike Colle
• Councillor Michael Thompson
• Councillor Neethan Shan
• Councillor Paula Fletcher
• Councillor Parthi Kandavel
• Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin
• Councillor Shelley Carroll
• Councillor Stephen Holyday
• Councillor Vince Crisanti